Article-carrying container



y 5, 1964 A. MASSER 3,131,829

ARTICLE-CARRYING CONTAINER Filed Nov. 14, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV EN TOR.

@zfiar g 7//'/aem BY May 5, 1964 A. MASSER ARTICLE-CARRYING CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1961 BY I, @7707/72 4 4 United States Patent 3,131,829 ARTICLE-CARRYING CGNTAWER Anthony Masser, Mission, Kazan, assignor to Spencer Chemical Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Nov. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 152,225 (Iiaims. (Cl. 22{iiil2) The present invention relates generally to article-carrying containers, and more particularly to containers of this type which are interlockable to form a carrying case composed of a plurality of individual containers.

In a typical usage, several of the subject containers may be interlocked to form a case for carrying a relatively large number of articles, such as in situations where the articles are being handled by distributors or wholesalers; or the containers may be utilized individually, each carrying a lesser number of articles such as the number usually purchased at a retail store by a consumer.

A container constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a bottom wall having a substantially rectangular outline, a plurality of side walls extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall, and a plurality of outwardly extending projections on at least one of said side walls for reception within notch means on a side wall of another container. Each container has both notch means and projections for interlocking with other containers. A pair of containers are interlocked by engaging the projections on a side wall of one container with the notch means on an adjacent side wall of another container.

Each container has handle means at each corner thereof so that when two or more containers are interlocked to form a rectangular carrying case, there will always be handle means at each corner of the case.

The engaged projections and notch means on the interlocked containers are constructed so that when a case is lifted and carried by the corner handle means, the gravitational forces exerted against the case urge the projections and notch means toward their engaged positions. Accordingly, the interlocked containers cannot become disengaged readily while being carried.

Other features and advantages are inherent in the structure claimed and disclosed, or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating a plurality of interlocked containers, each constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, partially cut away, of an embodiment of a container constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the container of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of a container constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of one side wall of a container constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of another side wall of the container of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating opposite side walls of a pair of containers with the containers in a non-interlocked position; and

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 showing the containers in an interlocked position.

Referring initially to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a case, indicated generally at 10, and comprising a plurality of interlocked containers 11 constructed in accordance 3,131,829 Patented May 5., 1964 with the present invention. Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, container 11 comprises a bottom wall 12, substantially rectangular in outline, and a plurality of side walls 13, 14, 15 and 16 extending upwardly from bottom wall 12 around the periphery thereof. Container 11 is divided into a plurality of compartments by a longitudinal divider 17 extending between Walls 15 and 16, and a plurality of transverse dividers 18 each extending toward longitudinal divider 17 from one of the side walls 13, 14. Each of the compartments of container 11 is intended to carry an article such as a bottle 22 (FIGURE 1), or a can, or other receptacle or other type of article.

The bottom of each compartment includes a hub portion 19 radially from which extend a plurality of spoke portions 20. Overlying longitudinal divider 17 is a retractable handle 21 movable between the retracted position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2 and the extended position shown in dash-dot lines in FIGURE 2. When a container 11 is to be carried individually, handle 21 is grasped and lifted upwardly to the extended position.

Each side wall contains interlocking means in the form of alternate projections 25 and notch means 26. Each projection 25 extends outwardly from its respective side wall and includes vertically diverging side walls 27, 28 (FIGURES 5 and 6). Each notch means 26 is defined by the vertically diverging Walls 27, 28 of an adjacent pair of projections 25. In a typical embodiment projections 25 of a first side wall 13 are positioned directly opposite the notch means 26 on a second side wall 14, opposite the first side wall (FIGURE 3). As illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6, the side walls 27, 28 of the interlocking means on a container first side wall 13 diverge in a vertical direction opposite that in which the side walls of the interlocking means on an opposite container side wall 14 diverge.

When a pair of containers 11 are to be interlocked together to form a case 10, the projections 25 on a first side wall 13 of one container 11 are positioned directly above the notches 26 on a second side wall 14 of the other container 11, and the two containers are joined together merely by dropping the one container downwardly until the projections 25 thereon are received and confined within the notch means 26 on the other container. To separate a pair of containers requires merely lifting one of the containers until its interlocking means is disengaged from the interlocking means of the other container.

Because the vertically diverging side walls 27, 28 defining both projections 25 and notch means 26, extend only a sort distance relative to the vertical dimensions of the respective container side walls, the distance which the projections 25 must be dropped before they are firmly locked and confined within the notch means 26 is relatively small compared to the vertical dimensions of the containers. By the same token, the distance one of the containers'must be lifted to disengage it from the other container is equally relatively small, said distance being equal to the vertical dimensions of a projection 25.

The confinement of the projections 25 between the side walls of the notch means 26 prevents movement of one container 11 relative to the other in a direction parallel to the adjacent side walls thereof. The vertical divergence of the side walls of the projections and notch means prevents one of a pair of interlocked containers from moving further in the direction necessary to effect an interlocked arrangement (downward in the illustrated embodiments). In addition, the side walls 27, 28 of the projections and notch means also diverge in a direction transverse to the container side walls, preventing movement of one interlocked container relative to the other in a direction transverse to the containers adjacent side walls.

When a plurality of containers 11 are interlocked together to form a rectangular case 10, the case may be lifted and carried by handle means in the form of openings 29 positioned at each corner of each container 11 between the upper and lower edges thereof. Thus there is an opening or handle means 29 at each corner of the case or, V

in other words, at a corner defined by a pair of container side walls including the container side wall opposite. the side wall alongside an adjacent interlocked container.

' When the case It) is lifted and carried by grasping an opening 29 at one of the cornersof thecase 10 the gravitational forces exerted against thecase pull the diverging side walls a of the projections against the diverging side walls of the confining notch means, thereby maintaining the interlocking engagement. Accordingly, theinterlocked containers cannot become disengaged readily while the case, of which the containers are a part, is being'carried.

If desired, additional interlocking means -may be provided as illustrated in detail in FIGURES to. 8. The notch means 26 on a sidewall 14 of one container may be provided with'resilient dimple means 30, and the projection 2.5 on the adjacent side wall 13 of another con tainer may be provided with a recess 31. In the illustrated embodiment opposite. side Walls of each, container are provided with dimples and recesses'respectively, Each,

recess 31 will receive and confine a respective resilient dimple means when the corresponding projections and notch means are locked into engaging positions (FIG- URE 8). 7

FIGURE4 illustrates another embodiment of a container 4lconstructed in accordance with the'present invention, said containerhaving notch means 46 constituting indentations in a side wallof the container. Each notch means 46 is located directly opposite a projection on an opposite side wall. a t

There has thus been described a containerinterlockable with one or more other containers to form a carrying case composed of a plurality of said containers. In a typical embodiment a container may be molded from a plastic material such as polypropylene, a stitl'polyethylene, nylon,

or the like; orconstructed from other suitable substances.

Several containers 11 may be interlocked together to form a case convenienffor handling large quantities of articles,'such as situations inwhich the articles are being handled by a wholesaler or distributor. Lesser numbers of containers 1.1 may be interlocked together when a lesser 1 number of articles are being handled, such as situations'in which :the articles are to be transported by a consumer. In eithercase, wholesaler orconsumer, there'is provided an article carrier which is versatileand adaptable ,for use in virtually all conditions of handling, no'matter the number of articles desired to be transported.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for 'clearnessof understanding'only, and no unnecessarylimitationsshould be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled inthe art.

What is claimed is: j V 1. In combination, a pair of article-carrying containers: each of said containers having a bottom wall substantially rectangular in outline, and four-side Walls ex: tending upwardly from the'periphery of said bottom Wall; Y

2,723,284 Nelson Nov. .15, 1955 2,731,376 Rusch Ian; 17, 1956 2,732,969 Browne'ung '.lan. 31, 1956 7 2,788,933 Kessler Apr. 16, 1957 s g FOREIGN PATENTS I v 7 790,060 France Nov. 12,1935 531,994 Canada OctJZS, 1956 a first'of said containers having a plurality of outwardly extending projections at the top and bottom edge portions of the outer face of a first side wall thereof, said projections having vertically diverging'side walls;

the second of said containers having a plurality of notch means at the top and bottom edge portions of the outer face of a first side wall thereof for receiving and confining the outwardly extending projections on the first container in cooperative arrangement, said notch means having vertically diverging sidewalls for receiving said projections on the first container and'for locking said firstrcontainer against movement, relative to the second container, in'a direction parallel to the first side Walls of said containers; and

handle-means on one of said containers at a corner: thereof defined by a pair of container side walls in-- eluding a side Wall opposite said first side wall.

2. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said handle means comprises a hand-accommodating openin at said coroner.

3. A combination as recited in claim 1. wherein:

said notch means includes a plurality of resilient dimples 7 extending outwardly therein; a 1

and said projection includes a plurality of'recesses for receiving and engaging said dimples. V

4. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein? each of said containers has a second side said first side wall thereof;

said second side wall having at the top and bottom edges thereof a plurality of projections and notch means each shaped like those on the first side wall;

the projections on said second wall being at the top and x bottom'edge portions'of'the' outer face thereof and opposite the notch means on the first side wall;

and the notch means on the second side Wall being at References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS wall, opposite Great Britain Aug. 31, 19.60 

1. IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF ARTICLE-CARRYING CONTAINERS: EACH OF SAID CONTAINERS HAVING A BOTTOM WALL SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR IN OUTLINE, AND FOUR SIDE WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID BOTTOM WALL; A FIRST OF SAID CONTAINERS HAVING A PLURALITY OF OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGE PORTIONS OF THE OUTER FACE OF A FIRST SIDE WALL THEREOF, SAID PROJECTIONS HAVING VERTICALLY DIVERGING SIDE WALLS; 